Friday, July 18, 2008

To me roasting vegetables is one of the best ways to prepare them. It just seems to enhance the flavors. Plus it is certainly a simple preparation. In the summer, I like to serve the vegetables over a crisp bed of greens & then crumble some goat cheese on top. The heat of the vegetables melts the goat cheese giving it a creamy texture. Just look at how pretty it is too...Our latest CSA box just seemed to have the perfect vegetables for this salad; beets, fennel, cauliflower & fresh garlic plus a head of leaf lettuce. We added some green beans from our garden and an onion.

To make the vegetables, cut them all in to bite-sized pieces & put them in a roasting pan. If like me, you don't want the beets to turn everything else pink, create a little dish for them from tin foil to keep them separate in the pan. Coat everything with olive oil & a good dash of balsamic vinegar. Salt to taste with kosher salt. Roast at 400F for 30 - 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender & starting to brown. Serve on a bed of greens & top with goat cheese.

We served this with Foldover Garlic Bread that was also made with fresh garlic. I didn't think fresh garlic (the skins are not dry like you get in the grocery store) would make much of a difference but cooked it was much milder.